Information and facts about the country of Italy
■Italy is a country in southern Europe. It is a peninsula extending in the shape of a shoe in the Mediterranean Sea, so it is called the Shoe of Europe.
■It is bordered by the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, the Ionian Sea to the south, and the countries of Europe to the north.
■Italy borders with six countries: France, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Vatican City and San Marino. Both Vatican City and San Marino are enclaves within Italy.
■Area: 302,073 km² (similar to the area of the Sultanate of Oman).
Population: 61 million people, estimates (2023)
■Capital: Rome, with a population of 4.3 million people
■Surname: “Bel Paese” which means the beautiful country
■Government system: democracy, republic.
Literacy: More than 98% know how to read and write
■Religion: Mainly Christian (80%, mostly Roman Catholic)
■Currency: Euro. Before 2001: Italian Lira
National Day: June 2 (Republic Day).
National symbols:
Italian gray wolf (national animal).
Red rose or white lily (national flowers).
The white five-pointed star with a thin red border line
Science
:Tricolor with vertical bands colored green, white and red. The colors of the flag are said to represent these virtues: hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red).
the language:
Italian.. It is a Romance language and the roots of the language go back to the Latin language. Italian is very close to French, with 89% of its vocabulary in common, and 82% of its vocabulary in common with Spanish.
Italian is an official language not only in Italy but also in Switzerland, San Marino and Vatican City.
The Italian alphabet consists of only 21 letters. The letters j, k, w, x, y. It does not exist, except for weak words, that is, words that originate in another language.
■A third of all European animal species can be found in Italy. The country also includes half of all plant species growing in Europe.
■In Italy, there is a floating city on the sea, which is Venice (Venice).
The largest island in Italy is Sicily. This island is also the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
The largest city in the country is Rome, with a population of 4.2 million people.
■The highest mountain peak in Italy is Mont Blanc, which reaches a height of 4,807 metres.
The longest river in Italy is the Po River in northern Italy, with a length of 652 km.
The largest lake is Lake Garda. It is located in northern Italy and is famous for its winds, which attract many surfers to its beaches.
■The longest border with a neighboring country is the border with Switzerland. The length of this border is 698 km.
■Etna is the most active volcano in Europe and is located on the island of Sicily.
■And again, remember that Italy surrounds two of the smallest countries in the world! It is San Marino in northern Italy, the oldest republic in the world, and the Vatican City in Rome, the smallest country in the world.
■The Apennines mountain range extends along Italy and separates the eastern and western regions of Italy.
■In southern Italy, you'll find Italy's three active volcanoes: Vesuvius near Naples, Etna in Sicily, and Stromboli off the coast of Italy.
■The Alps mountain range separates Italy from other European countries such as France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia.
■The Alps and the Apennines are two major mountain ranges in Italy. About 40% of the country's area is covered by hills and mountains.
■Italy has more than 7,600 kilometers of coastline.
■Italy is famous for its many picturesque ports, picturesque lakes, and sandy beaches.
■A third of all European animal species can be found in Italy. The country also includes half of all plant species growing in Europe.
■Popular foods: pizza and pasta.
the history
The Italian Republic was founded in 1946.
Italy was among the six countries that founded the European Union.
Italy is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is headquartered in Rome, Italy
Source: websites